Religion & Liberty Online Archives

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June 10, 2016

Perverse Incentives Hurt Poor Defendants

Since the landmark Supreme Court decision Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) every state has developed a system of public defense. The decision guaranteed that those accused of felony offenses are entitled to a lawyer under the rights outlined in the 6th Amendment, which include, the right to a jury trial, a public trial, and pertaining to Gideon, “to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.” Continue Reading...
March 07, 2016

Cultural Depictions of Communism and Christianity

As the author of a book titled The Roots of Coincidence, Arthur Koestler would appreciate the coinky dinks of the past week. First, I finished re-reading Koestler’s two nonfiction works of 20th century European madness, Dialogue with Death and Scum of the Earth. Continue Reading...
January 11, 2016

Ralph Hauenstein (1912-2016)

The Acton Institute lost a great friend and staunch supporter on Sunday with the passing of Ralph Hauenstein at the age of 103 years. In a truly remarkable life, Hauenstein was by turns a journalist, a war hero, an entrepreneur, and a major philanthropist. Continue Reading...
October 29, 2015

New Abraham Kuyper Series Launched

A major new series is now available: Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology. A website from the series publisher, AbrahamKuyper.com, went live today, where you can learn more about Abraham Kuyper, stay up to date on the latest from the Abraham Kuyper Translation Society, and order English translations of his work. Continue Reading...
August 17, 2015

Whitney Ball — A Remarkable Woman

The freedom movement lost a champion today. Whitney Ball, president and CEO of DonorsTrust, died last night after a long and courageous fight with cancer. Whitney was a dear friend of more than two decades, and one with whom I shared both a passion for liberty and the Christian faith. Continue Reading...
July 21, 2015

An overview of the riots of the 21st century

Back in April I wrote about the Baltimore riots and noted the long term impact riots have historically had on cities. At the time I wrote, “Within a few weeks the riots in Baltimore will subside and the country’s attention will shift to other problems. Continue Reading...
July 09, 2015

The Economy of Order: Justice Requires Love

“Seeking justice isn’t a matter of designing the right programs or delivery systems… Seeking order means acting in accord with a true vision of our brothers and sisters.” –Evan Koons American society and public discourse seem to be stuck in a state of feverish discord, rightly concerned with severe acts and systems of injustice, even as we continue to dig deeper cultural divides over everything from healthcare to sexual ethics, race relations to religious liberty, immigration to foreign policy. Continue Reading...